Process of and apparatus for ore concentration.



O. D. WELSCH. AND APPARATUS FOR ORE CONCENTRATION. APPLICATION FILED MAYQG. 1917.

PROCESS OF Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

glwuamlioz 0W5 I) WELSCH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS D. WELSCH, 0F KIMBERLY. NEVADA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR ORE CONCENTRATION.

Application filed May 261917.

To 111/ ie/wm it may toner/w lie it known that I. this I). \l'i-ipstii a eilizen ot' the l'uited States. residing" at .Kltllbt'll). in the eouutv of bite Pine and State of Nevada. have invented certain new and useful lll'tpl'tltt'llltlll in Processes of and Apparatus for ()re ('eneentration. of 'w'liit'h the l'ollowiug is a speeiliealioli refereu t' bein; had to the aeeonipan viu; draw in' s.

l ill iti\eiitioii relates to a pi'otess tl Ul' t' ll jl'ltlltlll lll and itt ttillillt)l' and parlieularl to eonei-ntralor operating on the llotatiou priui-iple de ei'ibed in laten! No. Jul'i'h granted on the th oi veinliet'. lilttti,

ln eoneentrators of this t vpe and operating on illlrpriueiple, the ore in a finely pulverized state is mixed with \vater and oil and u ually with a eei'taili amount at acid added. The pulp thus formed is agitated by uitable lltt1ll'i.-. o as to eause a l'roth to rise to the surt'aee of the mass whit-h it; eoniposetil of air bubbles with onl)" a traee of oil in them. the e bubbles being of a peeuliarl eoherent and persistent eharaeter and arrving in ttil't'llutti 'ttl suspension :1 very high pereeutage f the metal and inetalliterous partieles ol' ore whieh are contained in the mass of eruslted ore or pulp sul uiitted for treatment. This t'roth is re moved and the tnetaI iw-oti-red l) suitable pr es es to that end. Thi froth. although \el'i light. and eonipo ed oi relatively easilv desli'lltrtible air bubble has its air bubbles eovered with heavy ininei'al. lhe f'roth however. is stable and is relatively permanent in (:harauter.

As before stated. heretot'ore this froth has been formed b a -'itatin the pulp by means oi paddle or like nieehanieal de viees and the general objeet' of this inven tiozi is to improve upon the means for seeurin this froth. b v injeeting compressed air into the spitzkasteu. the air being earried down to the bottom of the spitzkasten and being tlnnoughl v intermingled with the pulp therein. the bubbles of air rising to the surface in the form of froth as heretofore de eribed.

further objeet ol' the invention is to provide an air eolleeling elnunbe into \vhieh the eoinpres ed air is ealtsetl to rise through the pulp and provide means Wllllilt) the.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Serial No. 171.229.

air within this ehainber may be adjusted to the right degree of pressuro to produce a proper tiotative froth when th air in the. ehaiuber is allowed to escape into the spitz hasten.

Other objects will appear in the course to the following deseriptiou,

My invention is illustrated in the aceouipanting" drawings wherein Figure l is a vertieal z etion through a t-oia-entrator eonstrueted in aeeordanee with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 21 is a longitudinal seetional thereof.

.lleferring to the e drawing it will be seen thatv my improved ttlttltilltls n is x treniely simple. It eoniprises a separating eoinpartn'ient or spitzlzasten. designated 10. whioh as illustrated. is gradually eontraeted to ard its: lower end and which is provided with a feed inlet 1]. at one end and a tailing outlet 12 at the other end. Extending into the eparating eompartinent or spitzkasten ltt nearly to the bottom thereof. is a compressed air inlet pipe it provided with a valve 14 or other suitable means for con-- trollin the inlet of air. lhis pipe '13 is eonueeted to a reservoir of compressed air or to a eninpressed air pump. l have ineliated on the drawing a reservoir of eonipre sed air, but it will be understotal that any means for wearing a eoinpres iou oi air and an ili it-t'litnt ol thit-t eompi'essetl air through the pipe tit is within the seope of nrv invention.

Finrrounding the air pipe 13' is a. ehainlier lfi elosed at its upper end. open at its lower end and extending down into the spitzcl ;l ltl| but spared above the lower end of the pipe and relatively near to the surface f the pulp contained within the Spitzlt'asteu. hiii-rounding the lower portion of the air pipe and extending upward into the ehaniber 13 is an air lift chamber 16 which is epen at its upper and lower ends. This air lit't ehtunber H' is spaced from the chamher 17 and extends above and below the lower edge of this ehamber 15. so that the portion of the. clunuber 15 which projects down below the upper end of tho ehambcl l eonstitutes a ballle wall. Mounted upon the pipe lil. above the upper end of the ehainb r l l. but eontiguous: thereto, is, a

rounding said pipe and open at. its upper and lower ends and extending sligl'itly below the air pipe, an air chamber surrounding the air lift chamber, closed at its upper end, open at its lower end and extending be-- low the top of the air lift chamber, and a pressure controlling valve in the top of said air chamber.

5. In an ore concentrator operating on the flotation principle. a spitzkasten to contain the pulp having a froth discharge and a gangue. discharge. and means for froth ing the pulp comprising a pipe connected to a source of compressed air and extending down into said spitzkasten below the level of the pulp therein, an air lift chamber open at its upper and lower ends surrounding said pipe and extending below the lower end of the pipe. an outwardly and dowmvardlv extending deflector disposed above the upper end of th 1 air lift chamber, an air chamber closed at its upper end extending downward and surrounding the air lift. chamber but. spaced therefrom and open at its lower end. the lower edge of-said air chamber being disposed below the upper end of the air lift, chamber. and means for controlling the pressure of air within said air chamber.

(3. In an ore concentrator operatihg on the flotation principle. a spitzkasten to contain the pulp having a froth discharge and a gangue discharge, and means for frothing the pulp comprising a pipe connected to a source of compressed air and extend-- ing down into said spitzkasten below the level of the pulp therein, an air lift chamber open at its upper and lower ends sur rounding said pipe and extending below the lower end of the pipe, an outwardly and downwardly extending deflector disposed above the. upper end of the air lift chamber, an air chamber closed at its upper end extending downward and surrounding the air lift chamber but spaced therefrom and open at its lower end. the lower edge of said air chamber being disposed below the upper end of the air lift chamber, and a valve in the air chamber controlling the outlet of air therefrom and thereby controlling the pressure within the chamber.

7. In an ore concentrator operating on the flotation principle. a HPltZlCtlStt'll having a feed opening, a froth discharge. and a gangue discharge opening and containing the pulp to be treated. and means for frothiug the pulp com n-ising a plurality of pipes connected to a source of compressed air and extending down into the pulp tobe frothed, an air chamber closed at its upper end and inc-losing said pipes. the sides of the air chamber extending down into and below the level of the pulp, and means for controlling the pressure of air within said chamber.

8. In an ore concentrator operating on the [total ion [)l'llltfll'llt, a. spitzkasten for coiltaining the pulp and having a froth discharge, a. feed opening and a gangue dis charge opening, a plurality of compressed air pipes extending into said spitzkasten nearly to the bottom thereof and connected to a source of compressed air, an air lift chamber open at its top and bottom and having walls extending parallel to but spaced from said series of pipes and extending down below the pipes, a deflector mounted above the open upper end of the air lift; chamber, and an air chamber having side Walls extending down into the spitzkasten and terminating above the lower end of the air lift chamber, said air chamber being closed at its upper end and the walls being spaced from the walls of the air lift chamber, and means for controlling the air pressure Within the air chamber.

9. In an ore concentrator operating on the tbvtation principle. a spitzkasten for containing the pulp and having a froth dis charge, a feed opening and a gangue dis charge opening. a plurality of compressed air pipes extending into said spitzltastcn nearly to the bottom thereof and connected to a source of compressed air, an air lift, chamber open at. its top and bottom and having alls extending parallel to but spaced from said series of pipes and extending down below the pipes, a deflector mounted above the open upper end of the air lift chamber. and an air chamber haw ing side walls extending down into the spit-re kasten and terminating above the lower end of the air lift chamber, said air chamber being closed atits upper end and the walls being spaced from the walls of the air lift chamber, and means for controlling the air pressure within the air chamber, said means comprising an adjustable valve mounted upon the top of the air chan'iber.

10. An ore concentrator operating on the flotation principle including a spitzkasten to contain pulp and having a. froth dis charge and a gangue discharge. and means for frothing the pulp comprising means for discharging compressed air at a predetermined pressure. below the surface of the pulp, an air chamber open at its lower end and extending into the. HllltZkHSttll below the level of the pulp and into which said compressed air discharges as the compressed air rises through the pulp, and means for reducing the pressure of the air collected within said chamber below the pressure of the einnpressed air as it enters the pulp, the compressed air in said chamber at said reduced pressure acting to force the pulp downward beneath the lower edge of the chamber and upward through the pulp exterior to the chamber.

11. A method of concentrating ore consisting in discharging air under pressure into a body of minur-nl pulp bulow lhu surhmly of the pulp, and 2], froth upon the sur- 10 face thereul and within :1. confined s mcn (0 face of the pulp.

thereby cause an ascending column of com- 1n lustiulouv whmvuf I lwrcunto afl'ix my lu'esscd air and pulp and to thereby cause signature in the n-osoucu ml two witnesses.

the a imtiun of the m] Within said s men, 1 1 l w and t hen (musing air un der less pressule in 01 Is pass downward through and with (he agl- Witnesses:

fated pulp into the main body of pulp to \VAL'I'ER (lxnsmv, thereby fOITYl air llllbl'llPS Within H10 main Cumulus .l. BURNS.

Copies of this patent may be" bblzixif'edfor" fl1e cents each, byflfimsmg-the Gommlaflionerofhtflts; Washington, D. C. 

